Nerlens Noel and Kevin Love (Photo : Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors continue to involve the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Love. The consensus is that the team stands to improve with by trading him off.
The rumors continue to circulate even as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders emphatically declared that the Cavaliers are not interested.
"While there are no shortage of suitors who would take on Love's contract, sources close to the Cavs say moving him is not even remotely a consideration," Kyler wrote. "The Cavaliers do have some roster business to take care of, namely getting J.R. Smith re-signed, which is viewed internally as simply a process that resolves itself in time."
Kyler added that Love should be removed from any trade discussion but more trade ideas have emerged. The latest one had him being sent to the Boston Celtics, but not for the draft picks and Jae Crowder. The site Sportsrageous, whose writers have suggested some preposterous trades before has the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers involved in a three-way trade.
"The trade would see Love is(sic) moving to the Celtics, Noel and Jonas Jerebko going to the Cavaliers and Jaylen Brown, Amir Johnson and Terry Rozier heading to the 76ers," the article stated.
In theory, the trade works for the three teams involved. Noel has long been considered as a good fit for the Cavs because they need a center, primarily for defensive purposes. The Cavs lose Love's offense and floor spacing capability, not to mention they will no longer have a "Big Three" since Noel is not a star by any means (at least not yet).
But Noel does fill a definite need that Love cannot. The Cavs were way over the cap and even with all the centers available in free agency they were not able to secure one. Thus, a trade is the only recourse.
Kevin Love would probably not relish a trade to the Sixers, who also drafted a power forward (or point forward) in Ben Simmons not to mention Dario Saric who's also coming from overseas. Sending him to Boston would fulfill a long courtship where he would headline a dynamic frontcourt with Al Horford.
The package from the Celtics fills up holes in the Sixers roster, specifically Jaylen Brown could eventually give them an all-Rookie starting frontline (Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, a virtual rookie drafted in 2014) that's big on talent.
Will this trade happen? The onus is on the Cavs. All the trades would start when they finally make Kevin available. But they will be sending a star in exchange for an offensively limited center. What's more important is that they're sending Love to a team that is poised to become their biggest rival in the East.
The Sixers will join this one without batting an eyelash as they've been meaning to trade Nerlens Noel. Jaylen Brown is the 3rd overall pick that they failed to obtain (although the Sixers would probably have used it on someone else). Rozier is a fine addition to their roster as well.
The Verdict: The Cavs could be wary of sending Love to the Celtics. In this trade, the Brooklyn Nets picks are not touched, and the 2017 draft is loaded with future All-Stars. Even with Love, Boston may not be able to topple Cleveland this season but if the Horford-Love tandem spends a season under Brad Stevens and eventually adds a top rookie in the draft, this trade may haunt Cleveland in the near future.
